Improvement in cloth-presses



W. HEBDON.

Cloth-Press.

N0. 168,017. Patenzedsepnznms.

N.PETins. PHOTO-LITHOGRAPNER. WASHKNGTON, D c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICEI WILLIAM HEBDON, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVEMENT IN CLOTH-PRESSES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patentl N o. 168,017-, datedSeptember 21, 1875; application filed August 13, 1875.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, WILLIAM HEBDON, ofBoston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, haveinvented an Improved Process and Machine for Pressing Cloth, of

which the following is a specification:

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification,Figure l represents a longitudinal vertical section of a machineembodying my invention. Figs. 2 and 3 represent views showing thefolding operation, and Fig. 4 a perspective view of two of the leaves inthe positions they occupy in the press.

My invention relates to the operation of hot or warm pressing woolenslin bulk. Heretofore this operation' has been performed by placing thecloh in folds in the press, with sheets of cold press-paper between thefolds and a heated metallic press-plate at the top and bottom of thepile thus produced, and applying pressure. This process involves muchdelay, as it is necessary for the heat from the press-plates to permeatethe entire pile of cloth and paper while under pressure, consequentlythe cloth must remain in the press from two to four hours, according tothe thickness of the pile, and the heat cannot become thoroughly andevenly diffused through the cloth on account of the unequal distances ofthe folds in the pile from the heated plates. In this mode of pressingthe cloth becomes sharply creased on account of the thinness. of thepress-paper interposed between its folds.

My invention has .for its object to obviate the disadvantages abovementioned, and to facilitate and improve the operation of pressingwoolens, 85o. To these ends my invention consists, first, in an improvedprocess for paper'- ing up and hot or warm pressing cloth, this processconsisting in interposing heated leaves composed of press-paper,inclosing a material adapted to retain heatfbetween the folds of a pileof cloth as it is placed in the press and applying pressure, the heatedleaves or papers immediately and thoroughly heating the .cloth whenpressure is applied, and, in consequence of their thickness, preventingthe formation of sharp creases in the cloth. My invention consists,secondly, in an improved combination and arrangement of parts in amachine for carrying out my process, all of which I will now proceed todescribe and point out in my claims.

In the drawing, A represents an ordinary press having a stationary bed,B, and a fol'- lower, O, moving on guides D, and operated by anyconvenient mechanism in such manner as to be raised and lowered on itsguides. The bed B of the press is provided With four verticalguide-pins, E E', the purpose of which will be explained hereinafter.The bed of the press is located on a platform or table, F, which is ofsuitable height to enable a workman standing on the floor toconvenientlyA manipulate .cloth placed on the bed. Gr G are extensionsof the table F at each end of the bed B, said extensions supportingheatingchambers H H', one at each side of the pressbed. The chambers H Hare made with hollow walls, and their sides adjacent to the press areopen, as shown in Fig. 2. J represents a pipe which admits steam intothe hollow wall or steam-space of the chamber H, the latter being heatedthereby. K represents a steampipe passing from the hollow wall orsteamspace of thechamber H to the similar space in the chamber H', thesteam that heats the former being thus caused to heat thelatter. Thepipe K is provided with a branch, L, leading out of the apartment inwhich the apparatus is located, and conducting the surplus steam and thewater of condensation away. M M, &c., represent rectangular leavescomposed of sheets of press-paper M', made bulky, and adapted to retainheat by being folded around a body of any suitable material which is anon-conductor of heat, the leaves thus formed being preferably about aneighth ofv an inch in thickness. These leaves are of such size as to beinserted in the chambers or heaters H H', and each is provided with twoperforated ears, e, adapted to be placed over two of the guide-pins E,as will be presently explained. ,I J K L M represent rollers journaledin bearings rising from the table, and adapted to guide a piece of clothfrom a basket or receptacle to the pressl A, and N. O P Q P' Q'represent rollers at the opposite end of the apparatus, adapted to guidethe cloth away from the press, as will be explained.

.b The operation is as follows: The leaves M, which may be of anydesired number, are placed in two sets in the ylieatin,gj-chambers H H',as shown in Fig. 2, with the rings or per forations e of each setproject-ing toward the press. Steam is admitted into the hollow walls orsteam-spaces of the chambers H H', and when the plates therein aresuflciently heated the operator removes the upper leaf from one of thechambers and lays it on the bed B of the press, with its ears or orilcese inclosing two of the Vertical guide-pins.

The cloth to be pressed being carriedover the rollers K L M, its end islaid upon the heated leaf, so as to nearly cover it, but not projectbeyond it onto the bed B. A second heated leaf is then 'taken from thechamber4 H, and laid upon the cloth on the first leaf, with its orificese inclosing the guide-pins E. Next a heated leaf is withdrawn from theopposite chamber H', and as it is drawn over the bed of the press isenveloped in a fold of cloth, and laid upon the first leaf, as shown inFig. 3, with its orices c over the guide-pins E'. The fourth heated leafis then taken from the chamber El and laid upon the cloth overthepreviously laid leaf, and thus the operation is continued, laheatedleaf being taken alternately from the chambers H and lil' and interposedbetween the layers of cloth until the pile is built up to the desiredthickness, after which the follower O is pressed down upon the pile, andallowed to remain for about half an hour, when the cloth will bethoroughly heated and pressed. The follower is then raised, and thecloth is removed from the press in any desired manner. I prefer to guideit over the rollers N O P to a foldingtable, T, or a winding-roller,.Q,these latter parts being interchangeable. When it is desirable toexamine or dry the cloth after it is pressed, I conduct it from theroller O over the elevated rollers P' Q', the latter being locatedsutliciently far above the Winding-roller Q or table T to expose thecloth to view as it passes from one to the other, as shown by dottedlines in Fig. 2. FansU U may be provided' for cooling or drying thecloth as it passes from the press, as shown in my patent No. 165.576.

It will be seen that by locatingthe heatingchambers H El' on oppositesides of the press the operation of interposing the heated leavesbetween the layers of cloth is greatly facilitated, the act ofwithdrawing a leaf from the chamber H serving to fold the, cloth overthev `cloth requires no handling, the operation of withdrawing theleaves from their chambers performing the folding of the cloth. In otherwords, each leaf Withdrawn from the chamber H bears upon a portion ofthe cloth intervenintervening portion in such position as to be' foldedover by the .succeeding leaf, which is drawn from the chamber H'. .Theguide-pins E E', of which two are provided on each side of the bed'B,hold the heated leaves by passing through the orifices in the outeredges of said plates, and thus cause the pile to be built up regularly,without the possibility of any leaf becoming displaced. .v Thisprovision insures the thorough pressing of all parts of the cloth bypreventing any ofthe folds from projecting outside of the pile. Theleaves are so constructed that the folding edge of each, when in thepile, shall be located back ot' the edges of those adjoining, thefolding edge being that which is first withdrawn from theheating-chamber, this ed ge being rounded. The paper surfaces of theleaves enable them to take the place of the ordinary press -pa` persused in papering up, whilethe bulk or thickness of the leaves resultingfrom the interposition of metal or other heat retaining material betweenthe paper surfaces not only enables them to retain the heat imparted bythe chambers H H', but prevents the formation of sharp creases in thecloth, such as result from the employment of single thick" nesses ofpress-paper.

I do not desire to limit myself to the employment of the describedconstruction or material of the leaves M, or the mechanism for icarrying out my improved'process, as any arrangement whereby a series ofleaves can be heated and interposed between folds of cloth in a pressmay be employed without departing from the spirit of my invention.

The construction shown, however, `consti-` tutes in one machine all theessential parts of a press-shop. The single press, 1n connectionwith theheating chambers and plates,`-

the necessity of lifting it in bulk `into and out of the press isavoided.-

The follower C of the press maybe provided with orifices to receive theguide-pins E E', when the follower is depressed, or the pins may beadapted to slide in the bed B, so that they will yield to the downwardmotion of theA follower, springs, or other suitable devices, be-

ing employed to keep them fromvfalling by 1. The described process ofpapering-up and hot or warm pressing cloth, consisting substantially inmaking a pile composed of single layers of cloth, and heated leaves M,surfaced bination of the press A, heating-chambers H H', leavesM,'deli\'ering` and removing` rollers andv Winding-roller Q, orfolding-table T, all substantiallyr as specified.

6. The leaves M, composed of press-paper M,.inclosing a body or filling,substantially as described, for the purposes specified.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, in thepresence of two subscribing Witnesses.

WILLIAM HEBDON. Witnesses A. Y. CoNvERs, O. F. BROWN.

